Central Rice Research Institute in Cuttack. Telegraph picture

Cuttack, April 16: Six new varieties of paddy developed by the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) have been approved for release for general cultivation.

“Among the recent releases, paddy varieties named CR Dhan 300 and CR Dhan 500 have been cleared for general cultivation by the All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project (AICRIP) at its recent meeting held in Hyderabad,” said T.K. Adhay, director of CRRI.

CR Dhan 300 will be released for the states of Maharastra, Orissa and Gujarat, while CR Dhan 500 is meant for Uttar Pradesh and Orissa only.

“Through extensive use of technology and modern tools, we have been able to develop new varieties of rice that are resistant to various pest and diseases, and also have a high yield production,” said Adhay.

CR Dhan 300 has 113 days of flowering duration and long slender grains with 66 per cent head rice recovery. It has a moderate resistance to leaf blast, neck blast and sheath rot.

Similarly, CR Dhan 500 is recommended for deepwater ecosystem and has a 29.2 per cent yield.

Established in 1946 in the backdrop of the great Bengal famine in 1943, the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack, has since then been conducting extensive research with a mandate of breeding rice varieties and producing technologies for different ecological situations to meet the increasing demand of the major cereal in the country.

Over the 63 years of its existence, the CRRI has contributed in ushering in the green revolution in rice cultivation by ensuring food security of the nation.

Apart from developing rice varieties, the CRRI is also involved in developing agro-technologies to benefit rice farmers. Hence, the institute has also developed a water-saving rice growing technique named as ‘aerobic rise’.

Moreover, stress is also given on extensive use of botanicals for rice pest and rice blast disease management.

“With the change in climatic conditions, a number of diseases and insects are affecting rice production. Apart from chemicals, we are working on development of disease-resistant varieties. This is a regular practice and we try to develop varieties through various methods,” Adhay added.

The institute is also initiating efforts to promote rice varieties that have a high yielding capacity with minimum input like water, land and fertilisers, which is the need of the hour keeping in view the population explosion and ever decreasing agricultural lands because of industrialisation and other issues.

“Thrust should also be given to attract young generation of farmers towards rice production in the country,” he added.